Crossfire, Chapter 29
Chapter 29 Connie smiled at her appearance in the mirror. Her silk wedding gown billowed and flowed across the floor, her long auburn locks had been brushed and conditioned until they were as smooth and soft as her dress, and the silver tiara that she wore atop her head glistened as the rays of morning light danced across its surface. Lance barked approval as his mistress gave herself a final once over. "This is the big day Lance, I'm really going to marry him..." A gentle rap on her bedroom door signaled Connie that her maidservents had come to collect her. Two girls, Sandy, and Courtney, Reaver's old maid from Bloodstone, entered the room. "Oh wow! You look beautiful!" Courtney remarked. Sandy nodded. "Yeah, I don't think that I've ever seen you look this glamourous before." The young gypsy added. Connie just blushed. "Thank you." Sandy took her friend by the arm. "It's time. Time to marry your charming scoundrel." Connie took a deep breath and then left the room with her two friends. They walked down the hallway towards the heart of the castle, where the wedding was to take place. Connie could already hear the music coming from the other end of the castle. "You nervous?" Courtney asked. Connie shook her head. "No. I've been looking forward to this for a very long time now." Courtney smiled. She knew just how Connie felt. For she herself had wanted the same thing, though it was long ago. While the the maid and Reaver had had a fling which had been brought on by Courtney's lack of judgememnt and sobriety, their relationship had never been anything compared to what Connie now had with him. Deep down, Courtney had wanted to see Reaver happy, happy with someone that could bring new depth to his world. And her best friend Connie, had indeed suceeded. The doors to the center of Castle Fairfax opened slowly, and the young bride to be entered with her two attendants. The huge mass of people within the room all turned at the same time and looked at the lovely woman. For a moment, Connie felt as if she wanted to flee. But then she saw the handsome rogue, standing in the distance. Reaver stood in the early morning light, his head held high and his black tuxedo glimmering in the sun. Connie started walking towards him, she focused upon him, and he became all that she could see. He looked at Connie as she approached, dressed in a pure white satin gown with diamonds encrusted upon it, catching the light and making tiny rainbows. She smiled at him as she reached his side, just as shyly she she had on the first day that they had met one another. Reaver's eyes took in her gorgeous sillouette, and came to rest on the small, barely visible bump on Connie's abdomen. "You look radiant Connie." He spoke softly. "As do you." The heroine replied. The minister approached the couple, and the cerimony began. "Do you, Reaver, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, through sickness and in health, richer or for poorer, until death do you part?" The minister asked Reaver. "Yes. Yes I do." He replied. The minister turned his attention to Connie. "Do you, Connie Remswood, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, through sickness and in health, richer or for poorer, until death do you part?" "I do." Connie nodded happily. "Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." Reaver slipped a golden ring with a red ruby onto his new brides slender finger and then kissed her soft hand gently. He pulled back and pulled Connie to his lips, and kissed her more passionatly than he had ever kissed a woman before. The crowd within the castle cheered and cried as Reaver hoisted Connie off her feet and into his awaiting arms. Lance and Troublesome howled gleefully and covered each other with slurps and kisses. Rays of light illuminated the newlyweds as they joined hands and walked through the halls of Castle Fairfax. Their lives together had just begun. Connie fell back upon the soft bed as soon as she reached the bedchambers. "How are you feeling dear?" Reaver asked her, removing his coat and hat. Connie sighed weakly. "I'm just glad to be off my feet." She replied, rubbing her belly. Reaver layed down beside her, and marveled at his pregant wife. Her baby bump had certainly grown over the last month. Even with the extra burden, Connie never seemed to be off her feet, so he was glad to see her giving in to the fatuige now. She was still visibly nervous of becomming regent, and being pregnant did little to settle her worries. Connie was always working, practacing speeches in front of the many mirrors in the great hall, or reading books in the large castle library. Rarely did she ever stop to rest. "Its good to see you relaxing Connie. Your always running around and doing things. You deserve it." Reaver commented, gently stroking her budding stomache. Connie sighed. "I was amazed at just how much that wedding actually took out of me. All that we did was stand around for an hour." "We did more than that. We vowed to love each other forever darling, our own personal forever. That is much more than just standing around." "Still. I haven't ever been this tired. When I used to go adventuring, it seemed that I couldn't sit still, even in towns and villages I would often take jobs just to drain away excess energy and to pass the time. Now, I can barely do anything without feeling like I'm going to faint." Connie explained. Reaver bent forward and gently kissed her abdomen. He caressed Connie's flushed cheek in his hand and gave her a loving smile. "Connie, I'll protect you, and I'll take care of you, now until the end of time. Just let yourself rest, and leave the rest up to me." "Reaver, but I'm going to soon be the queen. I just can't shirk my responsibilities like that!" "Oh, but you so easily forget that I, shall soon be the king. And the king has just as much power and say as the queen does. Even if you decide to take a million year holiday, I promise that I will keep the kingdom running smoothly. I can be quite organized you know." Connie streached out upon the bed. "A holiday sounds lovely right about now." "Well, it is supposed to be our honeymoon after all. Fancy taking a little trip?" Reaver asked. "Where to?" Reaver grinned at his pregnant wife. "Where ever you like my dear." Connie propped her elbows upon a silky white pillow, and began to think about it. Truth be told, having a new life inside of her had taken so much of her energy, that she would be just happy to stay in her bed for the last seven months of her pregnancy. But this would be the last trip that she could go on before becoming Queen of Albion, and so she decided to accept Reaver's proposel. Just as she was about to answer, Lance and Troublesome sped into the bedchamber, chasing after one another. Troublesome had grown larger in the last two months, although she was still much smaller than Lance. Her fuzzy puppy fur had grown longer too, and flowed silkily down her lean body. Lance sniffed and pawed at her, no longer seeing her as a nuisence. As the young wolf had matured, Lance now looked to her as a treausred friend, and a potential mate. Troublesome, on seeing Reaver, galloped to his side and licked his hand. Reaver smiled as he stroked the thick black pelt. Connie called for Lance, who hopped up to join her on the bed. The eager wolfdog sniffed her abdomen, and gently laid his white muzzle atop it. Connie continued to pet and talk to her old friend. "You sure have gotton big girl." Reaver spoke to Troublesome. The adolesant wolf let out a small whine. Connie smiled at him. "Reaver, you've really bonded to her haven't you. When we first found her, I was sure that you wouldn't keep her, at least not for long." Reaver smiled at his bride. "I have never told you this, but when I lived in Oakvale, I used to have a dog. His name was Archer. He was a shepard, and had the most gougeous black fur. He used to follow me everywhere." "You had a dog?! But I thought that you said that pets are useless." Connie replied in chuckled. "I was a differant man back in those days, as you well know. Besides, Archer was of use to me, he was a terrific hunter." "What happened to him?" Connie asked, almost afraid of the answer. "He passed away. Long before the Shadow Court had their way with my life thank goodness. He lived to be an old dog, and then one night he just died in his sleep. My daughter loved that old mutt!" Reaver laughed, before the memories once more erupted pain into his heart, and he grew quiet again. Troublesome nudged her beloved master. Reaver smiled at the wolfs green lantern-like eyes. "I suppose when I first found Troublesome, she reminded me so much of Archer that I just had to keep her. The old boy deserved a legancy after all." "That's actually very noble of you Reaver. On top of that you saved her life you know?" Connie remarked. Reaver slid in next to the pregnanat heroine and gave her a long passionate kiss. "Just following someone elses good example my darling. After all, you did save mine once." He smiled. Connie's eyes danced with happiness and contentment, as she carresed her swollen stomache again. She felt squirm from deep inside, and felt her heart leap. "Reaver, lets just stay put. We're about to have a family, why not settle into that mindset a bit more." Connie offered. "Anything you want Connie. Oh! I almost forgot. Here." Reaver pulled out Connie's pistol, the very same pistol that Xaiver had destroyed during the rescue. It was now fixed. Connie took it gaciously. "Reaver! It's fixed, how?" She gasped. Reaver chuckled warmly. "I fixed it. Well I wouldn't be the Hero of Skill if I didn't also know how to repair the very tools of my trade now would I?" "But Xaiver...and it fell apart...and-" Connie stammered. Reaver pressed a finger to her stumbling lips. "Shhhh. Don't trouble yourself over the trivial details, just be happy that you have it back." "Oh, but I am! I love this pistol, and I was so mad at that monster when he destoryed it. After all, you were the one that gave it to me." She smiled. Connie put the gun down onto her dresser and closed her weary eyes. She felt her belly move again, and touched it lovingly. Reaver watched her until she drifted off into dreams.'' I am so lucky to have you Connie. Time passed quickly, as life in the castle became more complex. Everyday Connie's pregnacy progressed without incident, and Reaver devoted much of his time to the royal library, and to his new family. Jasper settled into his position as butler, and Connie and he spent many an hour talking and joking as he tidied up her bedchambers, and she lay upon her bed, full of baby, and out of energy. Troublesome grew and grew until she was a full sized black wolf. She was still a little smaller than Lance, but her petite bone structure and slick black fur gave her an elegant demenior. Reaver later gathered that she must have been a runt, and her pack probably abandoned her because she was a weakling. Without proper care and norishment, the young pup would have died. He had since fitted his new compainion with a black leather collar, studded in white rhinestones. At first, the creature rejected the new accessory, constantly trying to tear it off. But as she grew, she settled into the idea of wearing the strange object around her neck. Winter came and went, the snows covered Castle Fairfax in a blanket of crisp white. It was during this time, that Connie gave birth to a son. She named him, Logan. It was late march, and the corination had been delayed because of Connie's pregnancy. As she listened to the birds chirping in the distance, Connie redied herself for the ceramony that was about to change her life forever. As the first of the trumpants blared all around her, she took a calming breath and squeezed Reaver's hand tightly. "Are you ready?" Her beloved asked with a cunning smile. "Yes, I think that I finnaly am." Sir Walter Beck, a knight of Albion and a new friend of Connie's whom she had just recently met, strode into the castle from the outside balcony. "My lady, its time." He beckoned. Connie let go of her husbands hand and elegantly walked forward, emersed in the light of the bright sun. "All hail the Queen of Albion!" The soilders all proclamied loudly as the rest of the crowd rooted and cheered. Connie stepped out onto the corrination balcony of Castle Fairfax, and the crowd exploded into her ears. She was wearing a hunter green ball gown, with a white ermine ruff. Reaver smiled at her as he retreived the golden crown from a blue velvet covered pedastol on his right. He lifted the crown and placed it atop the young heroine's head. The cheers from below where almost too loud as the people of Albion rejoiced. Lance howled along with Troublesome. Reaver simply smiled at her as he stood beside the new queen. A small baby boy, with dark brown locks cried within the arms of a nearby maid, startled and unhappy about all the commotion. When the corrination was over, Connie retrieved her small babe from her maid and kissed his chubby cheek. "My sweet little Logan. I'm sorry that all the noise frightened you love." The babe cooed happily at his mothers soft words and warm embrace. Reaver came over and looked proudly at his son. "He's a boy who knows what he's after in life. Did you hear how loudly he was complaining?" The king asked his queen. "Yes. Logan is never happy unless everyone is paying attention to him." Connie laughed, taking in the deep brown of her sons cherubic eyes. "That's my boy, never cease until you have them all tightly in your grasp." The proud father mused. He looked at Connie. "Its been a full year now since we were re-introduced back in Bloodstone." "I know, a lot has changed." Connie touched the crown atop her head. "Life is all about change. I know that better than anyone." Reaver replied. A dark thought entered his mind. "Do you think that I will be a good father?" "Of course you will! Why do you ask?" Reaver glared into the queens blue eyes with sorrowful look. "Because I had a daughter once, with Cammilia. I used to tell that child stories about heros and how I would always protect her. I broke that promise-badly..." "Your a differant man then you were 300 years ago. Xaiver was the one who destroyed Oakvale, and your family. What you went through, and what you lost, will never repeat itself again, because of that." "But I still could have stopped him. I could have said no. It was still my fault for not keeping that evil book out of the village in the first place, and therein, I am still just as responisble as Xaiver for Oakvales demise. I don't want to loose you Connie, either of you. If I did, there would truly be nothing left for me in this world. I hate to think about what would become of me." Connie looked up at him. "You and I will always be together Reaver." "Yes. There could be no other way my love." The music began to play as the royal ball began, Connie handed her new son back to the awaiting maidservent, then she looked at her beloved ex-pirate. He extended his hand to the new queen. "Shall we my dear?" "Yes we shall." Connie curtseed. And the king and queen danced the night away amoungst their loyal subjects, and two happy wolves. Peace and joy seemed to spread across not only Albion, but the whole world. ''12 years later: "Reaver!" Connie called to her husband, who was busy in the war room, tinkering on some new invention of his. Reaver had spent many a long hour in the castle library and had found out over the years that he was quite good at puting things together. He had taken up the hobby of inventing little gadgets and gizmos here and there. He looked up from his top hat and goggles and smiled. He had remained as youthful and handsome as the day that Connie had met him. "What is it Connie dear?" He asked. Connie rushed over and threw her arms around him. "Reaver, I'm pregnant!" "Again?!" He looked quite pale. Connie smiled, completely missing his mood. "Yes! Oh isn't it marvolous?" Reaver nodded slowly. "Dear? You look pale, are you alright?" "Um, er yes! It was just all the excitement of the realization that your going to have another little urchin darling..." He murmered. A small boy scampered forward, chasing Lance and Troublesome. Lance danced around him, just out of reach of his tiny fingers. Troublesome's own belly now buldged, full of puppy. The boy stopped when he saw Reaver and Connie embracing. He gave a sour look of disgust. "Aww, mum, dad! Can't you do that somewhere else?" Reaver chuckled at his sons disgust, while Connie give him a soft look. "Logan, those are hardly the manners of a young prince." She scolded. "Now, now, dear, the boy is just at that particular age where he doesn't want to see his parents kissing." Reaver tassled the boys dark brown hair. "Logan you'll understand when your older my son." "I will?" Logan asked doubtingly. "Yes. Now, take this. Haven't you got some puppies to chase after?" Reaver handed him a toy gun. "Oh, yeah, thanks dad!" The youth smiled. "There's a good lad. Run along now." Reaver shook his head and walked back over to Connie and kissed her softly. "You gave him a toy gun to shoot at Troublesome and Lance with?" "Boys will be boys." Reaver smirked. The next morning, Connie was summoned by the royal docter. "I have called you here because I have grave knews your majesty. I am afraid that this birth is to be your last." "What? Why?!" Connie exclaimed. "Have you taught young Logan the ways of the throne yet?" Connie knew that with an answer like that, the worst was the only possibility. "Um, a little bit, but its not like I'm going to die or anything is it?" The doctors akward silence gave her the answer. "What?! No, I can't die yet!" "Calm yourself my lady. The birth will not kill you, but rather a fatal desiese is already inside you. I'm afraid that you where doomed before this child was even born." Connie looked horrified. "What happened? I must know why I am going to die." "I cannot say the exact cause, but you seem to have a growing darkness inside your heart. Possibly linked to an old quest of some sort. Can your rememeber ever having combat with a great evil before your ladyship?" "Yes. Yes I did fight a great evil known as the Shadow Court once. Have I been infected this whole time?" The docter sadly nodded. "Whatever they did to you has had a lingering effect on your health. You have four years to live. I'm sorry. There is nothing that I can do for you." "What should I do?" The queen asked helplessly. "My best advise would be to tell your husband right away. Then start training young Logan for the throne immediatly." "Will my death be a painful one docter?" Connie asked, afraid of the answer remembering the excrusiating pain of the Shadow Court monsters tearing open her body. "No. You shall pass peacefully. That is the only good news I am afraid." The docter then left her bedchambers. Connie called out to Jasper, her butler. "Yes madam?" "Jasper, summon King Reaver for me please." The butler bowed and walked away. Moments later, Reaver entered the chamber. "What is it my love?" Connie's face was paleing. Reaver knelt to her bedside, sensing that something was very wrong. "What is it dear Connie?" Connie locked her blue eyes into his green ones. "I'm dying Reaver. The doctor said that the Shadow Court had put some sort of last minute curse on me, and that it has been lingering in my heart this whole time, weakening me. I have but four years left to live..." As the news hit his heart, Reaver looked paler than even the queen. He stood up, green hellfire in his eyes. "...What?! NO! They can't do this...Xaiver is dead, its supposed to be over now...This isn't how its supposed to be..." Unable to control his tearing heart, Reaver ran out of the room. "Reaver?!" Connie called after him. She jumped out of the bed and raced down the halls calling his name. But there was no sign of him anywhere. Four years later: "Mummy, look! She got one! Daisy got one!" The triumphant young Victoria cried. Connie looked over to see her four year old daughter and her own wolfdog, a black and white Daisy, playing chase with some beetles in the castle courtyard. Daisy was the only daughter of Lance and Troublesome. She had a dead beetle in her maw. "Great job Daisy!" The queen called out weakly. Victoria came running, and crawled onto her mothers lap. "Mummy, what are you gonna do today?" Connie looked out towards Reaver's new factories and frowned. "Well, right now I am here, watching you and your pets play dear. I love that you know. So I have taken the day off to be with you." The queen replied as she watched the smoke rising in the distance. Connie knew that Reaver was there, working so hard to get his mind off of losing her. The night that she had told him of her fate, he had dissapeared from the castle, and from afar Connie had watched his slow desent into madness progress. It had made him evil. His brown hair had turned black, and his skin remained the pale white color that it had turned when he first relized that she was dying. The thought of the guilt that now overwelmed him made her want to cry. Reaver had thought that his life was now better, but the Shadow Court was still very much a bane in his life, and they would never let him be. Connie's body was growing progressivly weaker with every passing day, although she had tried to hide it from both Logan and Victoria. Suddenly, the queen heard the courtyard gates swing open with a screech. Her teenage son, Logan, and his tutor, Sir Walter Beck who had served Connie well as a soilder and as a comerade, came in. "Mum, Walter says that I'm doing better at my melee combat skills!" Connie embraced her son. "That's great Logan! Here, sit down and take a break with me." Logan smiled and sat down. Walter approched and grinned. "That boy sure has a nack for fighting. He'll be a real leader one day." Connie smiled up at the man with his robust build and greying brown hair. "I'm sure he'll do us all proud." Walter looked over towards Bowerstone Industrial. "Is King Reaver coming home anytime soon then?" "I don't really know...I haven't seen him personaly since I got sick..." Walter frowned. "Hmmmm...I know it isn't my place to say, but he should have stayed by your side." Connie smiled weakly, as she brushed a long strand of greying aubern hair from her face. "Yes. I know. I really wish that he hadn't left like that, he's never even met Victoria. But he has gone mad and there is nothing he could do for me now anyway. My death is upon me, I can feel it." She looked longingly at the lazy smoke clouds billowing by from the great brick smokestacks in the distance. Walter leaned back on the bench. The adults watched as Logan ran off after Victoria and as they started to play with Daisy. "They both are really great kids." Walter remarked. "Yes. I have a feeling that they are going to lead Albion to a bright future Walter. I just know it." Connie smiled at her youths. "I think your right majesty. I think your right." The last of the setting sun disappeared behind the grey silouettes of smoke. "I'm feeling a bit weak now, so I'm off to bed. Goodnight." Connie stood up to leave. "Goodnight majesty." Before she left the courtyard, Connie turned one last time to say goodnight to her children. "Logan. Victoria. Mummys going to bed ok? Goodnight." Victoria embraced her mother and Logan soon after. "G'night mummy!" Cried Victoria. "See you in the morning mum." The young prince replied. Lance bounded out from his hiding spot between the bushes and licked his daughter and then Connie's children, goodnight. Then her loyal wolfdog walked with her to the castle. Connie felt for him, as when Reaver left, he had taken Troublesome with him. Lance had spent many a night howling for his lost mate, and occasionally another wolf would howl back in the distance, though Connie was unsure if it was Troublesome or just a wild wolf from Bower Lake. She limped down the hall and into the royal bedchambers. The queen laid down slowly upon her matress and felt a wave of relief sweep over her weary body. As she stared up at the ceiling, Connie started to reflect upon her life, all the people and places that she have known. The crazy events that had led her and her sister to become homeless, and the fateful day that they had spent gathering coins to buy the music box. Connie had since left the box in a magical dungeon in a new town that she had founded, called Brightwall. Using her new will abilitys Connie had sealed the ancient weapon away, so that no one but a hero, preferably one of her two children, would ever be able to access that power again. She knew that the day would eventually come that her children would have to save Albion, and Connie wanted the power there for them. She also remembered her new life in the days after Rose's death, how Theresa had nursed her back from the brink of death, how she had taught her to fight and about her heroic liniege. Connie recalled her first few quests as a hero, how unsure of herself she had been, how she wasn't even sure that she wanted to be a hero, and how scared and hopeless she had felt. And then of the day Connie had met Reaver. She Iaughed for the first time in years as she remembered how when she had first met him, Connie wanted nothing more than to put a bullet in his brain. Then she remembered falling for him, learning about his true nature, and how much the two had loved each other. Despite everything else in their lives that was so very different, they had the same feelings for one another-and the same heart. A tear welled up in the corner of her eye. "Connie?" A voice called. Connie looked up through the dimly lit light of the oil lamp. Reaver was standing there, in full veiw, still dressed from work in Industrial. "Reaver! I thought you'd never come back! I've missed you." The queen called out weakly. She tried to go to him, but fell forward onto the bed. Reaver came to her aid, helping her back to a sitting position. Then he knelt next to her and kissed her hand. "Connie. This is all because of me, and I'm so sorry that I have been gone so long from you. I never thought that I would come back. I didn't want to see you die because of me. But, as the deadline was approaching, I relized that I wanted to see you, one last time. I had to come say goodbye. I fear that I won't ever be the sweet happy-go-lucky man that you made me ever again. I've done such awful things in the last four years, thing that even the old me wasn't evil enough to do..." A darkness filled his persona, but Connie still could see the scar of the heartshaped kiss that she had planted on him so long ago. "Oh Reaver. Of course you will. This is very hard for you, I know. But I forgive you... you need to forgive yourself...you will always be my true love, I know it. Because I will always be with you. And when you pass away, I promise that I'll be waiting on the other side." Reaver's face grew dark. "No Connie. I still have eternal life. Xaiver told me. He granted it to me so that I would forever preserve his power. I will NEVER see you again..." Connie extend her hand to touch the scar upon his cheek. "Reaver...I will always love you. Never forget that..." "Connie?!" Reaver cried. Connie could feel the light dissapearing all around her. "Jasper?!" Reaver called for the butler The well dressed man entered. "You called... Master Reaver?! You've come home?!" "No time for explainations Jasper, get Walter in here now! The queen is dying!" Jasper didn't argue, instead he bowed and then rushed to get Sir Walter. Jasper hurried back, and Walter was with him, looking just as concerned. "Your majesty? Are you alright?" Walter asked. He looked up at Reaver with a look of surprise and disgust, then he shook his head. "Reaver! How dare you show up now, when she's about to die, you have never even met your own daughter! You don't belong here, leave now!" Reaver snarled and glared at Walter. "She's my wife, and I had my reasons for staying away! You couldn't possibly understand. Stand down to me. Last time I checked, I was still King of Albion!" He drew his Drangonstomper .48 in a threating manner towards Walter. Walter unsheathed his blade. "Your not the king anymore...you abandoned your dying queen, is that your idea of being a ruler?!" "...Walter..." Connie forced herself to sit. Both men withdrew their weapons and looked at her. "...My children must be taught well. Walter. Fighting will only send the wrong message to them. Keep your opinions to yourself, remember your place in this kingdom." The Queen of Albion replied harshly. Walter bowed hesitantly. "Beg your pardon majesty, I was only trying to defend your honor. I'm sorry." Walter cast yet another poisonous glare at Reaver, who in turn gave him a look that would paralize a balverine. Connie began to speak again, weakly to Walter. "I sense in Victoria...the bloodline of heros. When she is old enough and strong enough...give her this..." Connie passed off the guild seal that Theresa had given to her so many years ago. Walter took it shakily. "I promise your majesty...I promise..." "Good. Please go..." Walter and Jasper exited the royal bedchambers. It was only Connie and Reaver left inside. Connie looked her beloved in the eyes. "...Reaver...You are the love of my life...promise me that you will always love me, and never give up on us...please dear..." Reaver nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry Connie. I've been a coward of a man, but I have come back, please belive that you are special to me...I have never stopped thinking of you, or our lovely children." She smiled lovingly at the Hero of Skill. "Logan remebers you...Talk to him after I die, I'm sure he will want your advice and help in runnig Bowerstone Industrial. You've done so much out that way" Reaver smiled proudly. "I never knew that I could be such a tycoon. Or an inventor for that matter." "You've always been a clever one, Reaver." "Connie...I have always loved you. I will never love again...The last of his words trailed off into tears, and Connie's light began to fade. She grabbed her beloved rogues hand one last time. "...We will meet again my love...farewell..." "Connie? Connie?! CONNIE!" Reaver's scream filled all of the castle with a dreaded howl. Nothing remained in the bedchambers, save a dead queen, a white wolf, and a broken man, ripped apart by insanity.